1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to radiation detection devices for the presence of electromagnetic field (EMF), or radio frequency (RF), or microwaves, and more particularly, to radiation detection devices joined or operating in complementary suitable fashion with radiation shielding devices designed to reduce EMF radiating exposure to predetermined sensitive local human body tissue parts from potential harmful electromagnetic field energy levels emanating from close proximity direct line-of-sight wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment antenna or equipment body source, including wearable electronic equipment devices.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is much concern throughout the world that radiation from electromagnetic field and microwaves may cause human body tissue damage. The antenna and the body of wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment such as a cellular telephone and higher frequency band transceivers come in close contact with a person head or sensitive human body tissue part thereby creating a close exposure to electromagnetic field and microwave radiation. Because of these hazards and to offer some protection against these hazards, some form of personal radiation shielding arrangement devices were invented.
As the proliferation of radiation shielding arrangement devices for wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment products make their way onto the marketplace. The assessing consideration of EMF verification and perceptible presence in measurable degree to which radiation shielding or blocking performances are determined by measured and evaluated purposes for user""s of wireless electronic equipment to quantifiably determine potential presence of EMF radiating exposure levels is lacking. This measure of EMF radiation with respect to radiation shielding arrangement device shielding performances is a necessary parameter specification as part of the overall shield effectiveness system solution for the user""s own personal assessment of radiation shielding arrangement device operational capability, reliability and the relative radiation safety figure-of-merit value that is provided in a real-time response evaluating fashion. Whereby said relative radiation safety figure-of-merit value is comprised of the method of shielding effectiveness figure-of-merit measure.
Existing prior art designs provide unsuitably large shape and complex accessories comprising of an abundance of assembly electronic piece parts as referred to personal electromagnetic radiation monitor devices that will afford radiation detection of EMF radiating sources propagating in direct line-of-sight. The prior art devices are adhoc design integrating combination to operate with radiation shielding arrangement devices. They constitute an incompatible design not suitable when taking into consideration form, fit, and function with the objective of providing the user with unhindered protective alerting detection means from exposure to EMF radiating sources. Or, to provide a user with a real-time radiation detection means. Other prior forms of radiation detection devices are dosimeters and densitometers. Both of which are bulky and are not portable or practical. Said prior art designs are generally not suitable for the type of radiation detection arrangement prescribed by this invention because by integrating said prior art designs with radiation shielding arrangement devices, their intended combined adhoc design integrating fashion utility would greatly alter the particular radiation shielding arrangement device design form-factor for any suitable practical use.
Therefore, there is a need for a radiation detection device that is simple, employing lightweight construction materials and without the need for a power source.
In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, a radiation detection device that is simple and economic to manufacture for use in conjunction with a radiation shielding devices, without altering said radiation shielding device, is disclosed. Furthermore, this invention will provide means for determining the EMF radiating exposure level at close-proximity to the radiation shielding device located near the user""s predetermined sensitive human body area for means of alerting and monitoring detection and coverage protection from EMF radiating source. The invention is comprised of a transducer arrangement means, in converting the free-space transmission of EMF energy originating from a EMF radiating source with EMF energy exposing and presently accepted by the invention signal receptor and transducing said EMF energy into a visible or audible or mechanical stimulation or electrical processing output as means for said EMF energy detection verification. The degree of exposed EMF energy at the user""s predetermined measuring location is presently detected by the radiation detection device in a close-proximity to EMF radiating source is proportional to the transduced EMF energy outputted by an indicator arrangement as is comprised within the radiation detection device and thereby said transduced EMF energy outputted by said radiation detection device provides the user with a measuring means for evaluating the EMF radiating exposure level at the user""s predetermined criterions.
The invention operates suitably over a wide range of frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. The predetermined frequency operational band selection is accomplished by tuning or fixing the antenna""s specification and an appropriate crystal detector tuning impedance comprising its junction capacitance of less than or about two picofarads. The coupling to the invention with a radiation shielding device, enhances overall shield system solution for a user""s need for determining the effectiveness of a radiation shielding device and its reliability in a continuously monitored real time mode.
Radiation shielding devices that would benefit from the addition of this invention are RF (radio frequency) shield wearable garments such as a hat, a RF shield eyewear, a RF shield wearable wrap-around articles, a RF shield electronic equipment carrying pouches or cases, a RF shield upwardly fan structure arrangement, a folded or fixed RF shield fan structure, a internally pop-up RF shield fan mechanism, and a RF shield screen structure arrangement. Said radiation shield devices may employ woven RF shielded article arrangements comprising of EMI/RFI (Electromagnetic Interference and Radio Frequency Interference) metallic conductive material weaved fabric and a non-woven RF shielded article arrangements comprising of EMI/RFI material properties sandwiched between a laminating processing layer and a EMI/RFI material property deposition layer composing of a metallic conductive nature, thereby forming hybrid fabrication constructions and processing arrangements and distinguishable apart from conventional article fabrication techniques.
The invention can be permanently attached or not permanently attached to a radiation shielding device. It can be attached via an adhesive contact, a sewn-on, a lining, a clip-on, a pocket inserting, a necklace forming arrangement, a jewelry forming arrangement, or a Velcro-attached arrangement, to said radiation shielding device.
There are two test modes for detecting radiation as relating to this invention in performing the method of shielding effectiveness figure-of-merit measure, is also referred to as the radiation detection verification methodology. The first test mode is performed with a predetermined electromagnetic field radiating source such as a cell phone with the cell phone antenna placed near a user""s predetermined target of measuring interest location point as located on the perspective non-blocking side of the radiation shielding device as is adjacently located next to the radiation detection device with antenna arrangement exposed sideway, or in a alternatively described perspective as referenced from an obverse perspective view is referred to as the radiation shielding side surface, then said radiation detection device with an antenna exposed side is illuminated or activated with EMF energy from said EMF radiating source. Said radiation detection device subsequently activates the stimulus indicator at a predetermined energy threshold level setting and provides means of a measurable stimulus indicator behavior response such as a light output, either flashing or in steady-state. Said output method is not limited to light. Other output such as sound or a mechanical vibration function operation or electrical processing operation, as to indicate that EMF energy or power density has been sensed by the radiation detection device on the perspective non-blocking side of the radiation shielding device, is disclosed. Additionally, this procedural process provide a first relative reference calibration measuring means for the user to indicate normal and proper radiation detection operation, thereby also providing an EMF energy measurement takened as to simulate a reference level without shielding in place.
The second test mode is performed by illuminating the invention with an EMF energy radiating source from the blocking side of the radiation shielding device with respect to the radiation detection device located in the opposing illuminated side, of said radiation detection device diametrically located across the radiation shielding device illuminated side provides a measurable indication that EMF energy is blocked. It is shown by an inactivating stimulus indicator such as diminished light apparatus intensity level to no light intensity level or by an alternative stimulus indicator such as a diminished audible response to no audible response, or diminished mechanical vibrating response to no vibrating response, or diminished electrical processing output to no electrical processing output product, all to show that EMF energy or power density has been sensed by the radiation detection device on the perspective blocking side of the radiation shielding device, thereby also providing an EMF energy measurement takened with shielding in place. In the stated procedure thereof, this second test mode procedural process provide a second relative reference calibration measuring means for a user to indicate proper sensing of radiation detection device in shielding or blocking mode.
Another alternative embodiment of said relative reference calibration measuring means would be to introduce a stimulus indicator functioning mode of the invention to indicate a graduated level indicating response means that would provide the user a displayed means of detection or another sensory indicator means to provide perceptible presence in degrees of detected EMF energy intensity level variations measured as a function of varying the distance separated from the illuminating EMF energy source and the referenced radiation detection device.
A procedure of using a radiation detection device to provide a measure rating for the shielding or blocking effectiveness measure of energy radiated electromagnetic fields as shown by indicating EMF energy reducing fashion is referred to as the method of shielding effectiveness figure-of-merit measure. Said method of shielding effectiveness figure-of-merit measure, is in more simple discussion terms referred to as the method. Said method is stated by the decibel value rating comprising the ratio equating formula of electromagnetic field strength measurement takened before and after shielding is in place or measurement takened without and with shielding in place, as prescribed by said radiation detection verification methodology comprising of said first test mode and said second test mode. Whereby, said method give results in providing a protective radiation monitoring detection ratio value and displayed accordingly to the previously mentioned specification. Also recognized is, of said decibel value rating, an alternative formula expression to the decibel value rating specification may also be restated in magnitude value rating specification for ease of the user""s shield effectiveness measure and interpretation. The method by which shielding effectiveness and radiation detection may be estimated is the transmission line method and circuit method, published by the IEEE, 1988 xe2x80x9cSpecial issue on electromagnetic shieldingxe2x80x9d, IEEE Transactions on EMC, EMC-30, No. 3, August.
A radiation detection device comprises a predetermined parameter set selection of tuned antenna arrangement, of tuned crystal detection arrangement and of tuned stimulus indicator arrangement. The tuned antenna arrangement parameters frequency response is optimized for a predetermined electric field energy pattern gain response over frequency and is designed to acceptingly receive a predetermined free-space path transmission signal EMF energy in direct line-of-sight transmission from a wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment antenna emission radiated energy or equipment body leakage emission radiated energy. Said energy is converted into RF electrical signal. Said RF (radio frequency) electrical signal is converted into monitoring DC voltage signal by a predetermined selection of tuned crystal detection arrangement parameters. Then said monitoring DC (direct current) voltage signal provide a predetermined excitation electrical signal level into the stimulus indicator arrangement to facilitate proper stimulus indicator operation by predetermined selection of stimulus indicator arrangement parameters.
Operation of the radiation detection device is self-powered with the exposure to predetermined EMF energy and converting this energy into monitoring DC voltage signal that is proportional to the radiated EMF energy exposure level. Said monitoring DC voltage signal operation is by simultaneous operating means, provide self-powered means to the stimulus indicator arrangement, in providing predetermined detection indicator response due to close-proximity exposure to direct line-of-sight propagation of EMF energy radiation from a wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment antenna EMF source or body EMF source or combined EMF source composition thereof.
Additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.